Ecofeminism in Appalachia: One Woman’s Perspective and Call to Action more

The Women of Appalachia: 'l'heirHeritage and Accomplishments I I .. , . , . An unedlted collection of papers from tlie fifth annual conference held 011 the campus of Ohio University Zanesville October 23-25,2003 4 . 4 I I I I I I Ohio University Zanesville Support Provided Z y : Ohio Humanities Council Ohio A r t s Council ~ a i s h y 'Rental s The youndation f o r Appalachian Ohio O Ohio University Zanesville Office of Conferences I Miss Willie and Nora Bonesteel: Teaching in Cyberspace.. ................................................................ 1 Nedra Wheeler Atwell, Ed.D., Western Kentucky University Harriette Simpson Arnow and the Kentucky Hills: A Deep Ambivalence Toward Place.. .............................. 7 Martha Billips, Tranyslvania University From the Kentucky Coal Fields to Orange County, California ........................................................... Vivian Blevins, Ph.D., Edison Community College Urbana University Jean Thomas (1881-1982): A Most Unconventional Woman ................................................................................... Shirley J. Boyd, Ashland Community and Technical College 16 22 Ecofeminism in Appalachia: One Woman's Perspective and Call to Action.. ............................................... 3 2 Tammy L. Clemons, Berea College ie You G v Girl!: An Overview of Philanthropy and the Charitable Giving of Women in Appalachia Ohio ............ 4 3 Cara Dingus and Deanna Tribe, Appalachian Ohio Giving Coal Mining and the African - American in Southeastern Ohio.. ............................................................. 4 6 Larraine Johnson, Ember Leadership Services The Impact of Higher Education on Women's Political Participation.. ..................................................... 5 9 Dr. Lisa S. McLeod - Simmons, West Virginia Wesleyan College Appalachian Health Care 1900's "Poultices and Potions" .............................................................................................. 78 Karen R. Newlon, RN, Genesis HomeCare and Hospice & Palliative Care Weaving the Sacred Circle: The Accomplishments of Marilou Awiakta .................................................. Sylvia Bailey Shurbutt, Shepherd College Girls Can Do Math in Central Appalachia: Comparing Female and Male Alumni with College Degrees in Math, Science, Engineering and Computer Science ............................................................................................... Cynthia Smith, Ph.D., Wheeling Jesuit University The Old Regular Baptist: Kinship and Duty in Appalachia.. ................................................................. Katrina Suzanne Thacker, Lndiana University of Pennsylvania Women Along the Folkways and Rural Life Trail.. .......................................................................... Deanna L. Tribe, Dr. Barbara Lloyd and Dr. Patrick Mullen, OSU; Rebecca A. Baer, OSU Extension; Elisabeth Nixon and Mary Manning, Ohio Folklore Society; and Dr. Timothy Lloyd, American Folklore Society 85 91 99 104 From the Hollow to the Hood: Life in the Inner City Sex Industry .............................................................. 113 Celia Williamson, Ph.D., University of Toledo Hot Corn, Cold Corn: Repetition, Monotony and the Aesthetics of Appalachian Foodways ............................. 122 Lucy M. Long, Bowling Green State University Voices from the Outside: A look at how 'new immigrants' are faring in Appalachia .................................................. Lisa A. Wallace, Ph.D., O h o University - Chillicothe and Sheida Shirvani, Ph.D., Ohio University - Zanesville 131 ECOFEMlNlSM IN APPALACHIA: ONE WOMAN'S PERSPECTIVE AND CALL TO ACTION Tammy L. Clemons Berea College Abstract This paper is a call to action for Appalachian women and men and feminist scholars to discuss the relevance, character, and applications of ecofeminism in Appalachia. I will explore both the theoretical and practical elements of ecofeminism, drawing upon my Appalachian background and my personal attempt to live and model a sustainable lifestyle. By illustrating the interconnection between the precepts of ecofeminism and the natural and cultural gifts of the Appalachian region, I hope to inspire others to think of creative solutions to the sexism and ecological devastation which impede the self-empowerment of Appalachian women and men, and which contribute to the economical, ecological, and cultural impoverishment of our communities. Introduction: The Path Ahead All throughout my childhood and until I graduated high school, I spent every Saturday night and Sunday with my Mamaw and Papaw. Their house, which was on the edge of the great fields and forests of my great-grandmother's old homeplace, was a magical refuge during the summer where I would eat my fill of fresh vegetables directly from my Mamaw's garden. With the example and support of my paternal grandparents, I have learned skills in music, clogging, gardening, sewing, cutting wood, carpentry, and a deep respect for the land. These and other gifts have helped me cultivate an understanding of sustainable living, which largely focuses on responsible use of local resources, and ecofeminism, which recognizes the interconnection of environmental devastation and the oppression of women and many other social groups. Because of my personal exploration of ecofeminist sustainability, I am better able to understand the complexity of my heritage and the variety of issues that are particularly relevant to the Appalachian region and its people. Thus, I begin my call for multiple Appalachian approaches to ecofeminism. This paper is a call to action for Appalachian women and men and feminist scholars to discuss the relevance, character, and applications of ecofeminism in Appalachia. I will first frame this invitation with my own Appalachian cultural experience and the development of my sociallecological consciousness. Then I will explore both the theoretical and practical elements of ecofeminism, drawing upon my Appalachian background and my personal attempt to live and model a sustainable lifestyle. I will also highlight some specific regional Appalachian challenges that collaborative ecofeminism can address as well as some individuals and organizations in my area that are promising andlor successful models for integrating an ecofeminist perspective. By illustrating the interconnection between the precepts of ecofeminism and the natural and cultural gifts of the Appalachian region, 1 hope to inspire others to think of creative solutions to the sexism and ecological devastation which impede the self-empowerment of Appalachian women and men, and which contribute to the economical, ecological, and cultural impoverishment of our communities. The Complexity of My Heritage There is no doubt that some of my most profoundly powerful encounters with my mountain heritage were interactions with both of my grandparents, the living ancestors for whom I am daily grateful. My relationship with them and knowledge of their history are significantly connected to my practical and philosophical interest in ecofeminism and ecological sustainability. My grandparents are astounded that, I directly derive inspiration and motivation 'from my familial and cultural heritage for my commitment to live sustainably. Indeed, many of my life choices and academic interests may seem radically incongruent with some aspects of "traditional" Appalachian culture, and of course there are some that are. However, my appreciation of my heritage also includes my ability to critique and to imagine the improved health, equality, and sustainability of the knowledge and community base I have inherited. From an early age, I was aware of various forms of prejudice that have plagued our culture. 1 The most blatant were, of course, racism and sexism, and I vocally opposed any derogatory statements or actions that I witnessed. In spite of many stereotypes and prejudices that pervaded my family and local community, I was somehow aware of the implicit and explicit inequities caused by racism and sexism. Their more subtle yet ever-present counterparts of xenophobia and homophobia were not explicitly named, but the messages were loud and clear: stick to your own kind and do not question the hierarchy of resources and respect. Similarly, I had a basic understanding of the impending environmental crisis facing the world. Before college, I had little awareness of the particular ecological crises facing the Appalachian region, but I was very aware and active in addressing the need for a recycling program in my home community. Of course, college heightened my awareness of ecological and other issues. I gained the language of feminism, which helped me organize and understand the complexity of the hierarchical power structures dominating our lives. I eventually became acquainted with the language and principles of ecofeminism, which provided an equally complex means of navigating and comprehending the numerous and seemingly unrelated issues that prevent the full participation and sustenance of most of the world's citizens. My engagement with ecofeminism developed over a long period of time, during much of which I was unaware of its gestation. I did not become aware of the linguistic, philosophical concept of ecofeminism until I attended a lecture by Rosemary Radford Ruether at Berea College in 1996. Until that time, I did not perceive the complex interconnections between my interests in ecological sustainability, women's studies, or diversity issues. However, due to my consistent and persistent interest in and awareness of these issues, I would classify my earlier consciousness as that of a "latent" ecofeminist. In addition to my new identification with ecofeminism, while at Berea College, I also gained a new perspective about my home culture and region. It had a name (Appalachia) and an interdisciplinary field of study (Appalachian Studies) through which to investigate the unique history, struggles, and gifts of the region. I felt an immediate response of pride and protectiveness over my new sense of my "Appalachian-ness;" however, I also felt empowered to critique and challenge the elements that I was not proud of. Like ecofeminism, Appalachian studies provided me with an aerial view of the people and place of Appalachia that I thought I knew so well from the ground level. Considering the interdisciplinary nature of my educational background as well as the inherence of interdependence in ecofeminism, I am continually attempting to connect and interweave knowledge from a broad range of contexts. Therefore, beyond my personal interest in and commitment to ecofeminist sustainability, I see a need for broader discourse within Appalachian culture and scholarship which addresses particular social and environmental challenges of the region. There is an increasing abundance of literature about the individual topics of ecofeminism, sustainability, and Appalachia, but there is little documentation of the ways in which these issues are interconnected or of the many people, like myself, who are in some way trying to live out the concrete application of this awareness. 2 Ecofeminism and Sustainability: General and Personal Contexts The ethical/philosophicaIconversation that is ecofeminist theory, theology, and practice is too broad to adequately represent here. What I most want to convey is a summary of the some of the basic tenets of ecofeminism and why I believe it is a relevant lens for examining reality and facilitating social and ecological change in Appalachia. What is perhaps most interesting about ecofeminism and the coining of the word is its origin in the activist experiences of feminists engaged in a variety of movements, inciuciing nuclear disarmament, vegetarianism/animal rights, civil rights, domestic violence, environmentalism, and human rights. As "latent" ecofeminists, they co-created a collective language to express and address the multiple issues in which they were engaged. Therefore, just as ecofeminist thought owes its credibility to its activist roots, we as ecofeminist thinkers owe the integrity of our ideas to our practical applications of its principles. Also, it should be noted that activist representations of the feminist and environmental movements have much to offer one another in addressing the subtle interconnectedness of their issues. There is much work to be done in this area. Sustainability refers to the potential for indefinite perpetuation of human patterns of living in the world. Areas of sustainable thought and practice reach across various disciplines and professions such as agriculture, community development, technology, architecture, econornics, social work, and education. An ecofeminist approach to sustainability requires not only an examination of the relationshi? between humans and the environment, but also a thoughtful and honest investigation of interactions between diverse groups of humans. The philosophies of "deep ecology" and ecoferrlir~isrn share an integrated belief in the utter web of interdependence within which we live as members of many complex ecosystems and social relationships. Both also critique the human tendency to assign value to only that which can be used or manipulated by humans (anthropocentrism), but ecofeminism goes a step further to critique the specifically patriarchal nature and primarily male beneficiaries of social and ecological exploitation. 4 Ecofeminist discourse also highlights the intricate connections between different types of social oppressions, such as sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism, ethnocentrism, ableism, and ageism. 5 For me, there are several specific, concrete elements of Appalachian heritage and identity that supplement the theoretical framework of ecofeminism. Primarily, the Appalachian region has always been rich with diversity, whether racial, cultural, religious, biological, or geographical. Emphasizing this historical and contemporary reality is a viable means for understanding the relevance of ecofeminism in Appalachia. The largely rural nature of Appalachian landscapes and communities is clearly fertile ground for applying the principles of sustainable development. Related to Appalachian rurality is another asset, which is the tendency to rely on local community and resources. Also, many Appalachian people possess valuable self-sufficiency skills and wisdom about native plants and home remedies. Intimate knowledge about one's neighbors and environment helps sustain local economic and recreational activity. Thus, I believe that Appalachian culture provides principles to sustainability in the region. several precedents for applying ecoferr~inist I continually strive to apply principles of ecofeminism and sustainability to the context of my own life. Before describing my personal approach to ecofeminist sustainability in Appalachia, I would like to say that I by no means have a perfect record of meeting my own standards and goals. However, I am very committed to applying my ideals and engaging in the creative process with others who want to improve human relations with all forms of earthly life. The most concrete example of my personal application of ecofeminist sustainability is my home. After several years researching sustainable green design and looking for the right piece of land to call home, my partner and I finally chose a dome house plan and rural property outside of Berea with southern exposure and a clean, constant spring. The land had been uninhabited for decades, but had a 2acre clearing where an old homeplace had been. 'The house-site we selected was a slope with several good-sized tulip poplars that was overrun with wild grapevines and poison ivy. We used most of the poplar trees as posts to support the platform for our house. We purchased our dome plans on the Internet and embellished on them to personalize our home and remedy some typical problems with dome structures. For example, we added a cupola to prevent leaks in the semi-flat top of the dome. Plus, we added a wrap-around porch to maximize winter sun and minimize summer sun in the house. A dome uses fewer materials, is stronger and more energy efficient inan a conventional house of the same square footage. We are completely off-the-grid, using 12 solar panels and 8 deep-cycle batteries for our electricity, and gutters and a cistern to collect rain for our running wash water. Our water is heated by an "on-demand" propane hot water heater, which only runs when hot water is needed. Our gray water is directed to a fruit orchard, and we use a composting toilet to deal with Humanure. To minimize our electricity usage, our house wiring includes both DC and AC outlets with switches to turn off AC outlets when they are not in use. Our high-efficiency refrigerator and several lights are DC, which means they run directly from the batteries rather than using extra energy to convert the energy to AC. The above description of our home is a bit technical, but I include these details to illustrate a practical application of sustainability in our basic, daily sustenance. For the sustenance of our community, we also strive to buy local, organic produce, use as little fossil fuels as possible, and seek local fun and cultural events that do not require a lot of money. These are attainable goals that almost anyone can adopt toward an ecofeminist activism in Appalachia. Throughout the process of building a sustainable home, my Mamaw and Papaw have been consistently supportive. Though they have frequently marveled at the complexity of our choices, they have camped many a night and worked many a day on behalf of our dream. An Appalachian Approach to Ecofeminism I have provided general and personal contexts for ecofeminism and the practice of sustainability. I believe that an ecofeminist lens can help scholars and activists address various interconnected social and ecological challenges of Appalachian culture and the Appalachian area. Under the three categories of social oppressions, animal ethics, and environmental degradation, I will briefly state some general ecofeminist issues as well as issues that I have identified in my local/regional context that I believe can be best addressed from an ecofeminist perspective. The following list of issues is not designed to limit discourse on the ecofeminist possibilities in Appalachian scholarship and activism. Rather this is a preliminary list of issues that are apparent and relevant to me in my home state of Kentucky and for which I think there is ample room for improvement. In addition, I do not claim to have perfect, implementable solutions for all of these challenges, but I do think that the beginning step in addressing them is to identify and discuss their implications in our own communities. Social Oppressions Like any other feminist theory, ecofeminism consciously critiques the various forms of social oppression that still pervade our culture. The insight that ecofeminism emphasizes is the interconnection of all social oppressions. Therefore, the seemingly separate issues of sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism, ageism, ableism, and ethnocentrism are really all diverse expressions of the same patriarchal I I I I I I I I system of domination. 7 This domination is accomplished by the creation and antagonization of "opposites" or "opposing forces" that must compete for rights, goods, and well-being. This same tendency for destructive dualisms, in which nature is something to be conquered and controlled by human culture, is also apparent in the process of ecological degradation. Ecofeminism then challenges us to understand our own oppression in relationship to another's. Rather than alienate ourselves as individuals or oppressed groups, we can choose to live empathetically and in solidarity with others' struggles which are not separate from our own. Thus the commonness and diversity of our experiences can forge community instead of division and mutual oppression. In our Appalachian communities, we must learn to be aware of the social environment in which we and others who are different from us live. We must ask ourselves, "Do African Americans live in my community? If so, do they disproportionately live near the site of an industrial park, a landfill, or another highly polluting or polluted entity?" If we don't know, we must talk to people that you know from work, church, school to find out their experiences. We must ask, "Are there Hispanic families in my community? Do they earn a living wage?" In Kentucky, there are increasing numbers of Hispanic workers and farrrilies migrating to the area in search of agricultural work. The meager wages they earn can be compounded by less than ideal living arrangements and working conditions. Where do elders live and how do they get around in your community? Are sidewalks and businesses adequately accessible to those who are physically challenged? Do you know any gay people in your community, and if so, do they have a safe, supportive environment in which they can love and be loved? Are you aware of women's shelters in your community to which you could direct a friend if she were a victim of domestic violence? It should also be acknowledged that having what it takes to attempt a sustainable lifestyle is frequently a matter of privilege, which most of the above mentioned people do not possess. One must be interested enough to research, or be educated enough to be exposed to the concepts and technology of sustainability to even try to p r ~these ideas into daily practice. In addition, many energy-saving or t -producing devices not only require more money than conventional means of comfort, but sometimes require extra time for monitoring and maintenance than if one only has to call the utility company to troubleshoot and fix a problem. Also, environmental activism can be perceived as a "white issue" from the standpoint of other racial groups. For people who are already struggling in light of dire social and ecological environments, it is difficult to be in a position of preparedness and empowerment to make such the drastic shift toward a sustainable lifestyle. It is not impossible, but even the knowledge that it can be done with relative affordability is not always accessible to those who may need it most. Animal Ethics The ethical issue of how humans treat animals is a central focus for some ecofeminists. Animal use for many human "needs" is rejected for its objectification of animals solely for human-centered ends as well as the oftensubsequent objectification of women in the process. Some ecofeminist concerns ' about the ethical treatment of animals include: meat consumption, medical/commercial experimentation, poaching of endangered species, and more. Again, ecofeminism highlights the interconnection of the human race with the various forms of life on our planet. Any violence perpetrated against an animal is parallel to and indicative of violence toward other humans. Neither is justified as a means to further oneself. I do not personally espouse a radical ecofeminist animal ethic (I eat meat, wear leather, and believe that hunting and eating wild game are a mostly acceptable activities). However, I do strongly believe that, in the context of Appalachia, ecofeminism can again challenge us to become more aware of our surroundings and the impact of our lives on the lives of many other creatures. There are several animal ethics issues that are relevant to my locale. I am painfully aware of a lack of sufficient animal shelters and humane animal control. Dogs and cats are frequently dropped off on the side of the road across the county line near my home. Numerous backyards throughout the countryside display rows upon rows of plastic barrels housing roosters that are raised for cockfighting, which is illegal in Kentucky. Highways and traffic through rural and urban areas dissect wildlife habitats and create treacherous obstacles to wildlife and pets alike. There is little reverence for animals that have been run over and injured or killed on the highways. Large agribusiness practices of "mass production" not only squeeze out the livelihoods of small farmers but also reinforce our growing disconnection from our food source and our lack of awareness of the cruel and unnecessary treatment of live beings for the sake of "efficiency." One's financial status can have a great impact on one's awareness and concern for the ethical treatment of animals. Personally, financial limitations have impaired our ability to spay and neuter all of our dogs and cats (the total of both is nine; the curse of soft hearts). Cockfighting is no doubt a lucrative investment for many farmers and families who have fewer and fewer reliable economic options. We depend so heavily on cars and highways for our livelihood that we do not have or take time to stop and respectfully remove a bird or someone's pet from the road. We must creatively address our relationship to animals in a way that is beneficial to both us and them. Environmental Degradation Enviranmental activists generally work to prevent or reverse different forms of environmental degradation. However, ecofeminism recognizes connections between environmental abuse and the social realities in which it is able to flourish. As mentioned earlier, the people who disproportionately live near toxic industrial or solid waste sites are poor people andlor people of color and/or women. Pollution can also have a drastic effect on children who especially depend on a healthy diet and environment for proper development. These patterns are also visible on the much broader scale of world hunger and poverty. Human encroachment and destruction of the rainforests has been supplemented with the further devastation of "intellectual piracy," which "patents" the ancient indigenous knowledge and 9 biodiversity of Third World countries. The history of Appalachian ecology has been troubled. Coal-mining and strip-mining are no less pervasive or provocative than they ever were, and public and private logging for revenue is gaining in popularity. All around my local community, and probably most of Eastern Kentucky, there is rampant illegal dumping and burning of plastics due to lack of waste management and recycling resources. Both urban and rural communities in Appalachia typically lack comprehensive public transportation systems, and most modes of transport other than petroleum-consuming automobiles are marginalized often to the point of impossibility. While commuting to work on foot, by bike, bus, train, or cab on a regular basis remains a less than viable option for necessary travel, A N s are an extremely popular form of rural transportation that poses many ecological and social challenges in the region as well. The unregulated use of 4-wheelers/ANs on public and private lands creates devastating erosion, noise pollution, invasion of privacy, as well as significant hazards to those who ride them due to lack of helmet or age requirements. On a more positive note, my community has a new bike path, and many town residents rely primarily on bicycles for transportation. There is also a substantial number of individuals who mountain bike as a healthier recreational alternative to A N s that promotes aerobic activity, does not burn fossil fuels, and poses fewer threats to the environment, wildlife, and people. Practical Models for Ecofeminism in Appalachian I have already mentioned how my partner and I are pursuing a sustainable lifestyle on our own land. There are many other people in our community who are attempting to live sustainably in similar ways. Collectively, we belong to an informal network of people that participate in a regular work party focusing on ecological and social sustainability, which is known as the Berea Garden Party. "The Garden Party is a fun monthly gatherirrg in which people learn about and practice sustainability and social responsibility through the local sharing of food, labor, and goods; through the networking of sustainability-related knowledge, news, and events; and by serving as a model for the formation of other Garden Party A groups." lo group of Garden Party participants is also currently reviving a nonprofit organization to create a rural, sustainable community center in a local nurserylgreenhouse facility that has been unused for approximately a decade. In addition to the grassroots activities of individuals, there are also several existing institutional models for promoting and implementing social and ecological sustainability. Berea College now has a Sustainability and Environmental Studies (SENS) program that collaborates with the Women's Studies and Appalachian Studies programs on curricular and public education activities. In the past decade, Berea College has also applied the concept of ecological sustainability to numerous building renovation projects. -The culmination of these facilities projects is the creation of an "Ecovillage" of student family housing that will include permaculture gardens, shared community spaces, a Child Development Laboratory, 11 and a SENS House educating and modeling sustainable technology. Besides the conscious and comprehensive sustainability initiatives of Berea College, there are also a great number of other non-profit organizations in the Berea area that address social, economic, and environmental challenges facing local Appalachian communities. Organizations like Appalachia-Science in the Public Interest (ASPI), Mountain Association for Commur~ity Economic Development (MACED), Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises (FAHE), the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), Kentucky Hearhood, and the Kentucky Environmental Foundation (KEF) offer services and support activities such as ecological and social assessments of communities, education about clear-cutting and ATV abuse, credit ~ ~ n i o for women to own their own home or land, cultural diversity training, ns community supported agriculture, and activist resources for citizens. It is also important to mention significant individuals who have integrated worked for environmental and social justice in Appalachia. Frank X. Walker and Nikky Fir~ney have pioneered the exploration of "Affricilachian" heritage and culture. l2 Wendell Berry is a prominent advocate of sustainable agriculture and community in Kentucky and rural America. Patty Wallace, a strong family woman from Eastern Kentucky, has worked with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth to lobby against our continued dependency on coal-mining and its high ecological and social costs. And of course, Helen Lewis has championed ecological and social activism as a powerful component of academic inquiry. The above examples (including my own) do not necessarily perfectly embody social and ecological sustainability, and some of them would not consciously identify their work as ecofeminist. They simply represent a few of the positive models for ecofeminist sustainability that I have observed in my local context and that I believe offer insights for those who want to pursue similar projects within the framework of ecofeminism. Conclusion: A Call to Action I began this call to action with reflections on the development of my own ecofeminist Appalachian consciousness and a general overview of ecofeminism and sustainability. Obviously, this paper does not provide an in-depth survey of ecofeminist literature. However, I hope it encourages readers to explore articles that are related to areas of activism or study that are aligned with their interests and to ask how ecofeminism might fit into their personal practicelperspective. How might ecofeminism be an appropriate lens for examining various Appalachian contexts, and how could the framework of ecofeminism be expanded, altered, streamlined to apply to specifically to Appalachia? New literature in this area could build an important bridge between Appalachian studies and women's studies, as well as provide a base of scholarship in a much needed arena for Appalachian ecologicallfeminist discourse. This is my summons for all Appalachian ecofeminist thinkers, writers, practitioners, and activists. I believe that the application of ecofeminist insights to the Appalachian context is an opportunity for mutual development not only within the scholarship of Appalachian studies and women's studies, but within Appalachian communities and feminist activism as well. Through an increased ecofeminist consciousness, Appalachian women and men, feminist scholars, activists, and multicultural communities can engage in discourse about and mutual creation of a variety of Appalachian approaches to ecofeminism or even "Appalachian ecofeminism(s)." Even more importantly, an "Appalachian ecofeminism" could unite scholars across disciplines, as well as unite women and men across professional, activist, and commur~ity backgrounds. My own Appalachian background and relationship with my grandparents provided a strong foundation for the development of my ecofeminist consciousness and practice. Certainly, other threads of creative ecofeminism already thrive in the Appalachian region among many possible ecofeminists. In March 2003, Berea College professor Dr. Barbara Wade and I co-facilitated a workshop entitled, "Are You a Latent Ecofeminist?" at the Reclaiming Womanhood Conference" sponsored by the student group Women Uniting for P.E.A.C.E. l 3 We shared our some of our experiences to illustrate how we became acquainted with ecofeminism and then aware of our own identification with many of its principles. So many of the women attending the session later told us that they thought that they were ecofeminists and they couldn't believe they were previously unaware of this. Thus, the promise of ecofeminism in Appalachia resides in our collective, active dialogue and the diversity of voices and communities that make up Appalachia. Notes and Bibliography At the time, "our culture" was "the world" to me. Interestingly, in my adult awareness, the prejudices to wt-,ich I am referring are sufficiently proven to exist in the larger world as well. 2 There is some very interesting food for ecofeminist though in the Spring 2002 issue of the Journal of Appalachian Studies, which focuses on Appalachia in the context of globalization. 3 It is impossible to cite all of the contributors to the creation of ecofeminism, all of the subsequent ecofeminist activists and scholars that have built upon it, and all those who have greatly influenced my own ecofeminist thought and practice. However, the following list is a good list of "classic" ecofeminist texts as well as more recent works with some good contemporary insights. Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, Boston: Houghton Mifflin; Cambridge, Mass.: Riverside Press, 1962. Susan Griffin, Woman and Nature, Harper Colophon, 1978. Mary Daly, GynEcology: The Metaethics of Radlcal Femlnlsm, Boston: Beacon Press, 1978; and Quintessence Rosemary Radford Ruether, New Woman, New Earth: Sexist Ideologies and Human Liberation, Seabury Press, 1975; Gaia & God, San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992. Carol J. Adams, The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory; New York: Continuum. 1990; and Ed. Ecofeminism and the Sacred, New York: Continuum, 1993. Greta Gaard, Ecological Politics: Ecofeminists and The Greens, Temple University Press, 1998. Chris Cuomo, Feminism and Ecological Communities, Routledge, 1998. Karen Warren, Ecofeminist Philosophy: A Western Perspective on What It Is and Why It Matters, Rowman 8 Littlefield Publishing, 2000. lrene Diamond and Gloria Orenstein (Eds.), Reweaving the World: The Emergence of Ecofeminism, Eds. lrene Diamond and Gloria Feman Orenstein, San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1990. NWSA Journal Special Issue: Women, Ecology, and the Environment, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, Fall 1997, Volume 9, No. 3. See Robert Sessions' "Deep Ecology versus Ecofeminism: Healthy Differences or Incompatible Philosophies?" from Hypatia, Spring 1991. Though not a specifically "ecofeminist" text, Suzanne Pharr's Homophobia as a Weapon of 1 Sexism (Women's Project, 1988) has an excellent chapter called "The Common Elements of Oppressions" that offers concrete and succinct examples. 6 The Hum~lnure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure, Grove City, PA: Jenkins Pub., 1999. 7 Carol Adams' introduction to Ecofeminism and the Sacred has a good summary of these issues. B See Adams' The Sexual Politics of Meat. 9 See Vandana Shiva's Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge, Boston, MA : South End Press, 1997. 10 The mission statement quoted here is published online on the official Berea Garden Party website: htt~:/lwww.~eocities.com/berea~ardenpartv/ . 11 For more information about Berea College's sustainability initiatives, visit www.berea.edu/SENS. More details information about the Ecovillage is can be obtained by requesting the Berea College Ecovillage brochure "Sustainable Living and Learning: A Conceptual Overview," from Berea College Public Relations. 12 See Walker's Affrilachia: Poems, Lexington, KY: Old Cove Press, 2000; and Finney's Heartwood, Lexington : University Press of Kentucky, 1997. 13 Women Uniting for P.E.A.C.E. (Prevention, Education, Awareness, Community, and Equality).